North Korea head coach Ji Yun-nam has admitted that his team’s 3-1 defeat to Nigeria’s Flamingos at the ongoing 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco exposed the challenges of competing at the highest level of international football.

According to FIFA, Yun-nam made the admission after Friday’s Group B encounter, acknowledging that facing Nigeria had highlighted areas his team needed to improve, particularly their physical preparation ahead of the knockout stage.

“Playing against a strong team like Nigeria made me realize how challenging it is to compete at the world level,” the North Korean coach said.

“Facing an African team also showed me that we need to prepare better in terms of strength. We will prepare well for the Round of 16 and aim to achieve a better result.”

The defeat was a setback for the defending champions, who had won their opening two group matches against Puerto Rico and Poland before taking on Nigeria in their final fixture.

However, Akeem Busari’s Flamingos produced an impressive performance to overcome the two-time defending champions and secure qualification for the Round of 16.

Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring for Nigeria in the 15th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the advantage in the 38th minute.

Kanyinsola Yusuf extended Nigeria’s lead to 3-0 in the 56th minute with a well-taken free-kick, leaving North Korea with a difficult task in their bid to fight back.

North Korea reduced the deficit in the 82nd minute through Yu Jong-hyang, who converted a penalty, but Nigeria held on to secure all three points.

The victory saw the Flamingos finish second in Group B with six points. Nigeria had lost 2-1 to Poland in their opening match before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Puerto Rico.

Despite the defeat, North Korea also advanced to the Round of 16 after finishing level on six points with Nigeria and Poland. The defending champions claimed top spot in the group on goal difference.

Yun-nam will now focus on preparing his players for the knockout stage, hoping to address the physical shortcomings exposed against Nigeria and guide his team to a stronger performance in their next encounter.